James Harden, the 2018 MVP point guard, made his first appearances for the Cavs this week, going undefeated with him at the helm. Despite the team being on a road trip and having just film sessions and shootarounds instead of any practices, Harden immediately fit into the scheme. The offense averaged 129.7 points per game over the three-game stretch, while the league average is only 115.5. Although three games is a small sample size, a new look roster scoring at this rate without a single full-on practice is impressive.
The Cavaliers snuck out of Sacramento with a 132-126 win over the Kings in Harden’s debut. While it may not seem impressive, as the Kings are one of the worst teams in the NBA, Cleveland survived the Kings’ hot shooting night consisting of 16 three-pointers on a 43% clip. Superstar shooting guard Donovan Mitchell put up 35 points on 13-of-24 shooting from the field and veteran center Jarrett Allen unsurprisingly shined in the pick and roll with Harden, allowing him to log 29 points and 10 rebounds all while only missing one field goal attempt. Harden scored 23 points – 15 of which came in a nail-biting fourth quarter – and distributed the ball well with eight assists. The Cavs offense looked best in the final quarter where they outscored the Kings 39-30. Their performance in the fourth quarter will surely be something the team will look to replicate throughout the remainder of this season.
The Cavaliers traveled out to Denver on Monday for their first tough matchup since the trade deadline. They trailed the Nuggets for much of the game but overcame a nine-point deficit with nearly eight minutes left in the contest. Allen, Harden and Mitchell led the charge once again. Allen logged 22 points and 13 rebounds. Harden had 22 points including a clutch three with only 30 seconds left to tie the game. A Nuggets turnover on the following possession set up Mitchell up for a game-winning opportunity, which he was able to draw and foul and hit both free throws to win 119-117 and score 32 points on the night. A fourth quarter comeback on the road against a contending team like the Denver Nuggets never comes easily, which is a testament to how far this Cavaliers team has come from their early season woes.
In their homecoming from a five-game west coast road trip and final game before the All-Star Break, Cleveland dominated the Washington Wizards 138-113. Shooting guard Sam Merrill went nuclear from deep, hitting his first nine three-pointers without missing with seven being scored in the first half. He led the team in scoring with 32 points followed by Mitchell with 30 and Allen who scored 21 on a 100% shooting day from the field.
Player of the week:
For the first time, POTW was earned by the new Allen and Harden duo. Allen is in the midst of the best stretch of his season, averaging 24 points on a staggering 80% field goal percentage along with 10.6 rebounds. He couldn’t have done it without the help of Harden who found him in the pick-and-roll game with perfect pocket passes.
Harden has been synonymous with scoring for the majority of his career, but his playmaking was on display for the Cavaliers this week. He’s averaging just under nine assists per game. He helped Mitchell, Merril and, most prominently, Allen get going this week – all while still averaging 18.7 points per game. Harden and Allen’s early chemistry is also a good omen for Evan Mobley and his eventual return to the court after the All-Star Break.
Next week’s preview:
The NBA is officially on break until next Thursday, but not all the Cavaliers will be at home. Tune into the Rising Stars game to see young guard/forward Jaylon Tyson, and catch Mitchell in the Three-Point Contest on Saturday as well as the All-Star Tournament on Sunday.
There will be no recap next week, but the Cavaliers’ Thursday night contest against the Nets will be included in the following week’s column.